My name is like a tag more than anything. I could find meaning in it on the internet or in listening to my parents explain that they, as Catholics, got inspiration from King David, who defeated Goliath and conquered Jerusalem. That would mean that I’m meant to be a strong leader and a fighter, which I could be, but I find more personal enjoyment in thinking about the very real possibility that my parents named me David almost entirely because the obstetrician delivering me was a David. So here I am. It would make perfect sense and differentiate my name origin from the tons of other Davids in America, of which there are a great many. The year I was born, 2001, is actually the peak popularity of David, ranking 12th most popular among boy names in America (“Baby Names”).

        I don’t mind being David. Going by the flow and just stumbling into the name is how I take on life, so I think it’s great that the origin of my name was just a spur of the moment type of deal. Besides that, I think of the utility of my name. What I meant earlier when I said that my name is a ‘tag’ is that it is an identifier other people use for me more than it is something I actively think about. I want that identifier to be the best it can be. It should be easy to spell and easy for other people to pronounce without standing out too much. Beyond that, I’ve always been told by my family that David is a name that could be the president. I know that what they mean is that I can do anything, and nobody expects me to become the president, but I decided to investigate the history of presidential hopeful Davids anyway. In doing a little bit of research, I discovered that a David could in fact be president for at least one day. David Rice Atchison was the US president for a day as “President Pro Tempore” because Zachary Taylor refused to be inaugurated on the Sunday he was scheduled for (“David Atchison”). He really lived the dream and exemplified exactly what I want in life in a lot of ways. Despite holding essentially none of the responsibilities or weight of the American people as their president, he could still go home and brag about how he was on top of the world for exactly one day. 

        Even after looking deeper into the David name, it still feels like a tag, albeit a very useful one. I’m happy with my name, but ultimately, whether or not I like my identity as a person depends on the actions I take rather than the things I was born with. At the end of the day, I could have been Matthew, Johnathan, Joseph, Peter, or Mark and I’m not convinced it would have changed a thing. Hell, I’m certain that if my obstetrician’s name was any of these basic names or any other Christian Bible name, I’d be right here finishing off this sentence right now, still named after a guy I’ve never met.

Works Cited

Missouri House of Representatives, David Rice Atchison https://house.mo.gov/FamousInductee.aspx?id=3. Accessed Oct. 2023.

U.S. Gov, Popular Baby Names, www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/. Accessed Oct. 2023.